Types of Interviewing Face to Face Interviews Phone Interviews Email Interviews Chat/Messaging Interviews Setting up an interview Interview do's and dont's When conducting interviews… Do be careful of the types of questions you ask. See the “Creating interview questions” section for more information. Do start the interview with some small talk to give both yourself and the person you are interviewing a chance to get comfortable. Do bring redundant recording equipment in case something happens to one of your recording devices. Do state your name, the interviewee’s name and title, occupation, or area of expertise, and date of the interview. Do pay attention to what is being said during the interview and follow up responses that sound interesting. Do come to the interview prepared. You should learn as much as you can about the person you are going to interview before the interview takes place so that you can tailor your questions to them. Don't pester or push the person you are interviewing. If he or she does not want to talk about an issue, you should respect that desire. Don't stick to your questions rigidly. If an interesting subject comes up that relates to your research, feel free to ask additional questions about it. Don't allow the person you are interviewing to continually get off topic. If the conversation drifts, ask follow-up questions to redirect the conversation to the subject at hand. Creating Interview Questions When creating questions you want to avoid: Closed questions: Closed question: Is there a parking problem on campus? Revised question—Closed question with a follow-up question: Is there a parking problem on campus? If the answer is yes, you may follow up with: What seems to be the biggest issue causing this problem? -or- How can this problem be best addressed? Revised question—Open-ended question: How has the parking situation changed on campus since last year? Biased questions Biased question: Don't you agree that campus parking is a problem? Revised question: Is parking on campus a problem? (Use a follow-up question if the interviewee answers yes.): What can be done to improve the parking problem on campus?) Questions that assume what they ask Biased question: There are many people who believe that campus parking is a problem. Are you one of them? Revised question: Do you agree or disagree that campus parking is a problem? (Use a follow-up question): Why? Double-barreled questions Double-barreled question: Do you agree that campus parking is a problem and that the administration should be working diligently on a solution? Revised question: Is campus parking a problem? (If the participant responds yes): Should the administration be responsible for solving this problem? Confusing or wordy questions Confusing questions: What do you think about parking? Revised question: What is your opinion of the parking situation on campus? Questions that do not relate to what you want to learn Unrelated questions: Have you ever encountered problems in the parking garage on campus? Do you like or dislike the bus system? Citing an Interview Name of who you interviewed. Type of interview. Date of interview. Purdue, Pete. Personal interview. 1 Dec. 2000. Purdue, Pete. E-mail interview. 1 Dec. 2000. Purdue, Pete. Phone interview. 1 Dec. 2000. Citing a Survey Last, First name of person conducting the survey. “Title of Questionnaire or Survey.” City survey took place, year. Survey. Cox, Calarri. “Why do students fail?” Aurora, 2011. Survey.
Borrowed and adapted from Owl: The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008. Web. 22 March 2011.
For a more detailed version of the above information:
Types of Interviewing
Face to Face Interviews
Phone Interviews
Email Interviews
Chat/Messaging Interviews
Setting up an interview
Interview do's and dont's
When conducting interviews…
Do be careful of the types of questions you ask. See the “Creating interview questions” section for more information.
Do start the interview with some small talk to give both yourself and the person you are interviewing a chance to get comfortable.
Do bring redundant recording equipment in case something happens to one of your recording devices.
Do state your name, the interviewee’s name and title, occupation, or area of expertise, and date of the interview.
Do pay attention to what is being said during the interview and follow up responses that sound interesting.
Do come to the interview prepared. You should learn as much as you can about the person you are going to interview before the interview takes place so that you can tailor your questions to them.
Don't pester or push the person you are interviewing. If he or she does not want to talk about an issue, you should respect that desire.
Don't stick to your questions rigidly. If an interesting subject comes up that relates to your research, feel free to ask additional questions about it.
Don't allow the person you are interviewing to continually get off topic. If the conversation drifts, ask follow-up questions to redirect the conversation to the subject at hand.
Creating Interview Questions
When creating questions you want to avoid:
Closed questions:
Closed question: Is there a parking problem on campus?
Revised question—Closed question with a follow-up question: Is there a parking problem on campus? If the answer is yes, you may follow up with: What seems to be the biggest issue causing this problem? -or- How can this problem be best addressed?
Revised question—Open-ended question: How has the parking situation changed on campus since last year?
Biased questions
Biased question: Don't you agree that campus parking is a problem?
Revised question: Is parking on campus a problem? (Use a follow-up question if the interviewee answers yes.): What can be done to improve the parking problem on campus?)
Questions that assume what they ask
Biased question: There are many people who believe that campus parking is a problem. Are you one of them?
Revised question: Do you agree or disagree that campus parking is a problem? (Use a follow-up question): Why?
Double-barreled questions
Double-barreled question: Do you agree that campus parking is a problem and that the administration should be working diligently on a solution?
Revised question: Is campus parking a problem? (If the participant responds yes): Should the administration be responsible for solving this problem?
Confusing or wordy questions
Confusing questions: What do you think about parking?
Revised question: What is your opinion of the parking situation on campus?
Questions that do not relate to what you want to learn
Unrelated questions: Have you ever encountered problems in the parking garage on campus? Do you like or dislike the bus system?
Citing an Interview
Name of who you interviewed. Type of interview. Date of interview.
Purdue, Pete. Personal interview. 1 Dec. 2000.
Purdue, Pete. E-mail interview. 1 Dec. 2000.
Purdue, Pete. Phone interview. 1 Dec. 2000.
Citing a Survey
Last, First name of person conducting the survey. “Title of Questionnaire or Survey.” City
survey took place, year. Survey.
Cox, Calarri. “Why do students fail?” Aurora, 2011. Survey.
Borrowed and adapted from Owl:
The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008. Web. 22 March 2011.
For a more detailed version of the above information: